In normal surgery, simple sutures using thread have often been used.
A simple suture involves using a plurality of simple stitches each with a knot to hold the skin together. There are situations when these simple sutures are unsatisfactory because the skin overlaps during healing causing scarring. Surgical situations exist wherein sutures with a needle and thread simply take too long. For example, situations when the patient should not be kept under anesthesia any longer than necessary would require a quick method of closure. Extended time under anesthesia increases the patient's risk of complications.
To provide a fast method to hold skin together, staples were developed having one of three basic shapes, a C-shape, a U-shape and a circular shaped member. These simple staples have advantages over the simple sutures for quickness in implementation, but has a negative effect in that the skin usually overlaps during healing. Overlapping skin can cause scarring or a ridge to form. This ridge or scar can delay the healing process as well as be a cosmetically undesirable feature. Also with overlapping skin, the healing process is prolonged.
As an alternative to simple suturing, mattress suturing was developed. The mattress suture prevents overlapping of the edges of the incision and improved the healing process by quickening the healing process of the skin and reducing the incidence of unsightly scarring of the skin.
The mattress suture, regrettably takes an even longer time to implement than the simple suture. The mattress suture causes the wound to heal faster and reduces scarring but requires more anesthesia time for the patient, which is can have negative effects. This mattress type of suturing involves placing on each edge of the incision, a stitch immediately near the edge of an incision or wound and then making a second stitch further from the edge of the incision or wound to approximate the two edges of the incision or wound and reduce tension on the wound while preventing an overlap of the edges of the incision.
The present embodiments were designed to provide the advantages of the mattress suturing technique with the improved quality of a dual staple system.
The predominant form of staple includes a central portion, either straight or slightly curved, with bilateral opposing side portions that are sharply beveled so as to penetrate the skin easily. This form of staple is generally applied utilizing a stapling apparatus that forcefully drives the opposing beveled side portions through the tissue margins in a ninety degree arc so that these beveled opposing side portions are generally facing one another at the completion of the stapling operation. The bending of the opposing beveled side portions form generally parallel planes into a generally horizontal plane is often accomplished utilizing a ram and opposing ram plate that cooperatively forcefully bend the opposing beveled side portions during a stapling operation.
Another conventional surgical staple includes a generally U-shaped fastening member having legs that are received in two bores of a receiver member. This type of surgical staple is limited by the need to grasp the members both above and below the tissue plane.
A third surgical staple involves an open circular-shaped member, which when closed, has the free ends laterally disposed with respect to each other forming a split-ring configuration.
A need exists to prevent the overlap of the skin when drawing the edges of the skin together. A need exists for a disposable dual surgical stapler gun that is fast to use and will help keep the edges of the skin together for an extended time without an overlap. A need exists during the healing period after surgery for a secure stapling system that holds the skin together without an overlap to insure better healing and less scarring of the skin.
The present embodiments have been developed to meet these needs.